TWE reveals spirits, Champagne and Napa Valley launches for Penfolds

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has announced key future launches for its premium Penfolds portfolio including a spirits range, Champagne and wine from the Napa Valley 2018 vintage.

The spirits and Champagne will be launched under a new Penfolds Special Bottlings portfolio, with the first spirit released, available from today, a Lot. 1990 - a pot distilled 28 year old single batch brandy. This will be followed by a spirited wine, Lot. 518 - a premium fortified Barossa Shiraz (94%) enlivened with Baijiu, which will be launched in September.

The third release under the new banner will be a Champagne, expected to be released in 2019 to coincide with Penfolds’ 175th anniversary.

The innovations would broaden TWE’s base and help “future-proof Penfolds”, said chief winemaker Peter Gago.

“The Penfolds winemaking team is delighted to engage in a profound expansion of our core range, while preserving Penfolds DNA and at the same time, building upon the creativity, ingenuity and boldness of our winemaking ancestry,” he said.

In addition, TWE said it would be bringing “the best of the best” Napa Valley grapes to its stable, crafting authentic Penfolds wine styles from the California 2018 harvest onward.

The wines would build on a “proven and credible pedigree” that dates back to vine cuttings brought to Adelaide by Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold in 1844, and more recently Kalimna cuttings taken to Camatta Hills vineyards in California in the 1990s, said TWE.

“Our Penfolds House Style certainly allows and embraces the freedom to explore premium viticultural regions across the world. We are striving to add outstanding Californian-sourced wines to our offering by fiscal 2022,” said Gago.

Today’s announcements “were just the start” of a much larger agenda to deliver continued growth, added CEO Michael Clarke.

"Today’s news signifies another important step on our journey to invest in and build true trust marks; expanding the Penfolds stable to include brandy, spirited wine and multi-country sourcing, while multi-region and multi-country sourcing brings excitement and energy into established brands,” he said.

At the same time, it strengthened TWE’s ability to deliver consistent, quality wine year-on-year; regardless of vintage variation, he added.

The announcement comes ahead of TWE’s annual results, which will be released 16 August 2018.